In or about the year 2030, smart technologies built into autonomous vehicles will avoid catastrophic collisions, but certainly not eliminate traffic accidents entirely because of technological “bugs” and human error. There is also the issue of our Canadian winters to deal with.
So picture that, a fully autonomous car will drive itself to a local auto body shop for repairs within minutes of being involved in a minor fender bender. The arrival of the vehicle will be anticipated because of its onboard diagnostic (OBD) system. Once there, one or more of its human passengers will make their way into the Autobody repair shop office to touch base with management and finalize repair authorizations or provide additional information. Welcome to 2030!
Technology is rapidly changing the way vehicles are built, marketed, and repaired, and will continue to do so between now and then. Multiple companies are developing autonomous vehicles: BMW, Daimler, Fiat-Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Tesla, Toyota, Volvo, and an alliance by Renault, Nissan, and Microsoft. Cars will be self-driving, thinking machines that will interact with their passengers and their surrounding environments. Communication with car manufacturers, dealers, insurance companies, and autobody shops will be instantaneous.
Our take
At Mitek, our continuing investment in technology and the continuing partnership with dealers and manufacturers will grow as we plan to be ahead of the curve in this development. Our Automaker Partners will continue to tell consumers that using our factory-certified body shop is the best way to enhance the residual value of their leased vehicles and certainly the best shop to perform the repair. This relationship means more work for us but will only strengthen as smart cars become increasingly dependent on factory services and diagnostics.
Our mandate
We plan to continue to invest, maintain and grow our manufacturer certification programs in order to compete with uncertified body shops. Our shop will continue to augment our skills and equipment investments with factory certification from the likes of Audi/Volkswagen, BMW/MINI, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar Land Rover, Volvo, Ford, GM, Honda/Acura, Nissan, Toyota, KIA, Fiat-Chrysler (FCA).
Certification is a huge undertaking because of its inherent investment in time and money, but we are committed to it.
We are also committed to quickly responding to consumer queries and we are working to be better equipped to compete with pre-arranged assignments from insurance carriers. We will be ready to serve you and your car now and your autonomous car in 2030.
Mike Tikl
Proud owner of Mitek Fine Autobody & Paint
Serving Kitchener, Waterloo. Cambridge, Guelph, and surrounding region since 1980